Beauty and the Beast
by Telitah
Summary: A compilation of short stories about Yuri and Estelle's relationship: Contrasts, hesitation and feelings Estelle is starting to realize. Funny, dramatic and romantic moments. This story takes place after the game's ending, therefore it contains spoilers. YurixEstelle, Yustelle, Tales of Vesperia, Brave Vesperia. Please review !
1. Thoughts

_Hi there, dear readers! Telitah here! :)  
First of all, this is a Yustelle/YurixEstelle fanfic. It takes place after the game's ending, therefore it has spoilers!  
Now, some of you asked for this story to be published in english (it was originally written in spanish), and this is the first time I publish something in this language, so please go easy on me :). Also, it might take a while to translate all the short stories I wrote for this fanfic, so please be patient.  
Don't forget to review, I would appreciate it.  
Well, this story doesn't have a main plot; just... a compilation of lovely short stories about Yuri and Estelle along with the rest of the party. I hope you enjoy it!_

_..._

**The Beauty and the Beast**

I looked at the flower field in front of me. I was charmed by the fragile yellow flowers that swung with the breeze's rhythm. I sat on a steady rock nearby and focused my gaze on the clear sky above me. My pink hair started to move as one with the wind, and I inhaled the delicious fragrance from the flowers that were in front of me, embellishing my view. I closed my eyes and I remembered the face of the most important person to me; I remembered his long dark hair, his beautiful eyes, his carefree smile and his hand extended to me, inviting me to continue a journey with him…  
I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was a yellow butterfly fluttering not too far. I smiled softly when I observed the little bug moving quickly, landing in various flowers occasionally.

Yuri Lowell.

I pronounced his name aloud, and smiled shyly because of my previous action. Yuri Lowell had become the most cherished person to me. I sighed and looked at the sky once again; the butterfly from before had been already lost among the flowers, captivated by their pollen. Then, I remembered Flynn, and let myself be amazed by the friendship between Yuri and Flynn, a beautiful and strong bond that they shared despite of their differences:  
Flynn is a commandant, a man loyal to his principles, responsible and a person who takes all his duties seriously. Yuri, on the other hand, is a nonchalant and sometimes impulsive person who seeks justice with his own hands. Despite of that, those two share something very important: their fervor for helping others before themselves. They are always willing to give all their might to save someone in danger, and that's the feature they share.  
I smiled to myself; I really appreciated both of them, but lately, Yuri had been appearing in my thoughts more than I wanted to. His sincere devoutness for helping others had captivated me to the point that he was able to make me redden with a mere smile.  
What does this warm feeling mean?  
The one I perceived each time that I looked into those deep eyes that reflected maturity, motivated by the desire of a better place for the people important to him. When I looked at his calloused hands, I couldn't help but smile while imagining all the things that Yuri knows. Yes, I have definitely understood that living in a castle as a sheltered princess is not the same thing as living on the streets, since those are two totally different points of view of the world where we live in.  
And that reminds me, despite of Yuri's disgust towards nobility, he accepted me as a friend even though he inferred that I was a candidate to the royal throne, and I am very grateful for his kindness.  
I stood up and started walking between the flowers, observing the small living things of bright yellow that surrounded me. At that instant, a gentle breeze wandered through my body and hair. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation. Once again, my mind looked for Yuri's visage.  
And it appeared.  
I smiled happily and put my hands together in front of my chest. Then, I prayed for Yuri to think of my face once in a while, wherever he was.  
Yuri, wait for me please.  
I would like to reach ouch to you one of these days. If I had gotten better at making decisions, it's all thanks to you. That's why I will reach you soon, and my words will look for you.  
Just… wait for me.  
And then, the previous butterfly that had been lost between the flowers, reappeared.

...

"Could it be?" Judith asked to herself while observing her friend Yuri Lowell training with the sword. Karol was fighting with him. The krytian woman had her hands intertwined behind her back as always, and a small grin appeared on her lips. Raven, who at that moment was behind Judith, turned around to be by the krytian's side with his arms crossed while watching the two young boys training in front of them.  
"Are you talkin' about 'em? Those lads don't seem to run out of energy, do they?" Said Raven with a grin. "What can I say, they are young."  
Judith looked at the man who was standing beside her.  
"Oh no, I didn't mean that." The woman replied. Raven looked at her, one eye open and the other closed.  
"Is that so, hmm? Then, whaddaya mean, Judith darlin'?" The old man asked.  
"Yuri and Estelle. Isn't it pretty obvious?" She mentioned with a soft voice. Raven opened his other eye, and after observing the krytian for a while, he focused on Yuri and Karol again.  
"Are you saying that the princess is probably head over heels for that kiddo?" Raven snorted. "It might be evident for us, but they don't seem to notice."  
Judith sighed and placed her hand on her opposite arm.  
"Estelle looked sad when Rita said that Yuri left her out of the battles just because Flynn asked him to take care of her. But I don't think that's totally true." Judith mentioned.  
"Do you imply that Yuri could feel the same way as the princess, Judith my love?"  
The krytian woman frowned and glanced at Raven with a look he recognized very well. Raven widened his eyes and gulped.  
"Okay okay, I get it, no more 'darling' or 'my love' for now." He hurried himself to say.  
"Thank you." Judith said with a satisfied smile. "Now, about your question… Yes, I believe so."  
After that, they were silent, lost in their thoughts. After a while, Raven broke the silence:  
"We've been through many things as a group, isn't that right? And the pretty lady developed feelings for that kid in the progress. That commandant friend of him ain't gonna be too happy once he knows this, heh." Raven said. The sun was about to go down.  
"Yuri won't admit it, but he truly cares about Estelle." Judith added, and Raven grinned mockingly.  
"But he doesn't look like he's aware of that." He said, and Judith imitated the gesture.  
"Well, Miss Innocence is in the same boat as him." Judith joked.  
"Shall we interfere?" the archer asked.  
"Not yet. Let's see how things go for now."  
"Oh, it'd be so fun to play cupid with ya, Judith my d…" Raven started, but Judith cut him off by hitting him with her heel on his right foot, making him cry for pain soberly.  
"Well, I'm going to make dinner." Judith announced with a satisfying smile before turning around to leave. Raven watched her go, and with a small smile, he said to himself:  
"Oh, damn. Who would think that he would fall in love…?"

...

For Brave Vesperia, today was a day to fight at the Coliseum. The party had decided to go there to spend some time together. Brave Vesperia was already well-known in the Coliseum, and that day, Yuri was going to be the challenger of the Tournament that would take place. The swordsman went to the preparation room, and the rest of the party went to take their seats, eager to watch their friend in action.  
"Watching Yuri fight in the Coliseum is awesome!" Karol exclaimed while sitting on his seat.  
"Woof!" Repede barked, happily.  
"It's no big deal. You see him fight almost every day." Rita said, indifferent.  
"But here we have a lot of powerful fighters, ferocious monsters and people screaming Yuri's name! That's totally cool!" The Brave Vesperia's leader explained, excited. Rita sighed.  
"Yeah, whatever." She replied.  
"C'mon kids, we came to cheer for Yuri, so don't fight, okay?" Raven interfered while intertwining his hands behind his head.  
"Hmm? The coliseum sure is lively today." Judith commented.  
"Now that you mention it, I think I see a bunch of weird girls over there…" Rita noticed, and in that moment, that group of people shouted Yuri's name vigorously.  
"And they're noisy too." Raven smiled. Then, Rita looked at Estelle, who was sitting by her side lost in her thoughts. Lately, the princess was acting a little strange. Maybe something happened in the castle? Rita wanted to ask her something, but she didn't know how…  
All of a sudden, the announcer's voice took everyone's attention with his deep tone:  
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" He started. "Today, we have one of our favorite fighters visiting us. Let us welcome our powerful and audacious warrior: YUURIIII LOWEEEEELLL, from Brave Vesperia!" The announcer said, and the audience replied with excited cheers.  
"Wow, everybody loves Yuri!" Karol exclaimed happily. Judith grinned.  
"Yes, this is definitely good advertising for our guild." The blue-haired girl said.  
"Is he really that famous now?" Rita asked to herself, and she turned to see Estelle once again: She was observing carefully the way Yuri was entering the arena, waving hello to all the audience with that usual carefree smile of him. Estelle's hands were intertwined in front of her chest, maybe praying for his well-being. All of a sudden, Rita saw something different in her friend's look: What could it be…?  
"…And now, let's welcome our first brave challenger who will battle against Yuri Lowell. Ready? Fight!" The announcer exclaimed, starting the battle. The excitement of the battle was spread all over the Coliseum.  
"You can do it, Yuri! Kick his ass!" Karol shouted, bathed in adrenalin.  
After a lot of hard-fought battles without rest, the winner of the day was announced; Yuri finished his last enemy with a powerful Mystic Arte, and after that, he was proclaimed as the triumphant of the day. The audience started to scream his name when he turned around to lift up his hands with his sword 'Second Star' in victory. Karol and Judith got up from their seats and started to cheer for their friend. Repede started to bark happily, too. Estelle intertwined her hands mightily and looked at her friend saluting the audience.  
"Yuri…" She whispered, and Rita heard her.  
"Concluding with a Mystic Arte, huh? What a way to end the battle." Raven smiled, and watched all the people getting up to applaud him. Rita, Estelle and he were the only ones in the Coliseum whom remain seated. Then, Estelle smiled sadly, and she put her hands on her lap.  
"Estelle…?" Rita mentioned, and the princess looked at her friend naïvely.  
"Yes, what is it?" Estelle asked.  
"Are you okay?"  
The pink-haired girl nodded.  
"Yes. Aren't you happy, Rita? Yuri won the tournament again."  
"Well yeah, it's just that…" She started, but was distracted by Karol, who passed by running with Repede. "What the…?"  
"Let's go to meet Yuri." Judith said then, and after that, she went after the kid and the dog.  
"Ah, these young people…" Raven mentioned dramatically. "What are ya waiting for, girls? If ya don't hurry, people there are gonna block up the way."  
Rita and Estelle got up, and Raven just stroked his chin.  
"You're not coming with us, Raven?" Estelle asked him. He shook his head.  
"Nah, I'll take my time, so go ahead."  
"Okay, but don't take too long or you're going to be overwhelmed by these people." The genius mage said, and after that, she took Estelle's wrist and led her to the arena. Raven sighed and muttered:  
"Yeah, I know. Can't you guys rely a little more on ol' Raven here? Geez".

...

When Rita and Estelle arrived to the arena, a lot of people had already gathered there, surrounding the champion of the day.  
"Ugh, getting close would be harder than I thought…" Rita mumbled.  
"Uhm, we could wait until Yuri finishes his…" The pink-haired princess started to say, but Rita cut her off with a serious look.  
"You want to see him, right?" The genius mage asked her. Estelle blinked, bemused.  
"Yes… yes I do, but there's no need to rush…"  
Rita sighed. In that moment, Judith appeared with a calm pace.  
"Oh, here you are. Karol and Repede are trying to approach Yuri right now, but it's a little difficult to do so…" Judith mentioned, and intertwined her hands behind her back. "We just have to wait a little longer."  
"Why are the people so eager to meet Yuri today? This isn't the first time he participates or anything…" Rita commented while crossing her arms, slightly irritated.  
"It looks like a certain fan club came to see the tournament." Judith explained.  
"Huh? A fan club?"  
Then, Judith nodded and looked at a group of girls not too far from Yuri; Estelle and Rita followed her gaze, and they saw the fan club Judith was talking about: They were trying to get the swordsman's attention, and the girls were all wearing a yellow bracelet with a blastia core similar to Yuri's.  
"Who are all those weirdos?" Rita asked, raising an eyebrow.  
"I think they're called 'the Yuri Lowell Fan Club', and they gathered here today to watch Yuri's performance." The krytian woman explained.  
"Fans, huh? Who would've thought that? I didn't think Yuri would have fans, excepting that Zagi freak." Rita mentioned, and after a few seconds, she exclaimed: "H-hey, wait a sec! We've participated in tournaments too, so we should have fan clubs too, right?  
"I don't think we're as famous as Yuri yet. But look, all the fans are girls." Judith emphasized, and observed Estelle's expression quickly; the naïve princess was looking at the group of people in front of her with a thoughtful look, immersed in her own world.  
"Why are you so silent today, Estelle? Is something the matter?" The krytian woman asked Estelle, and she blinked.  
"Huh? N-no, everything's alright. Uhm… why are you all asking me this?" The princess questioned. Rita placed a hand in her waist.  
"Well, because you look a little uneasy today." The youngest girl mentioned.  
"If there's something that is bothering you, you know you can count on me." Judith said with a gentle smile.  
"H-Hey!" Rita interrupted. "Y-you know… I-I'm here for you….too…" The genious mage muttered, her face a crimson red. Estelle blinked once again, surprised by their kind words, and after a few seconds, she smiled sweetly.  
"Rita, Judith… thank you, but really, I'm okay." Estelle explained, and then, she turned her eyes upon the group of people in front of her, searching for Yuri. Rita and Judith looked at each other, not too convinced.  
"Yes… everything's fine, right?" The pink-haired girl asked herself mentally. "But why… Why do I feel this way?"

In that moment, Estelle found the gaze of her cherished friend: He was smiling nonchalantly, paying attention to his fans and to all the things they have to say. The fan club girls were trying to hug Yuri tightly, and all of a sudden, one of the girls gave him a kiss in the cheek, leaving the swordsman stunned. He didn't say anything to the lassie, but tried to keep his personal space. Yuri didn't seem to notice that his friends were waiting for him. Little by little, the princess felt her cheeks reddening.

Then, a familiar bark echoed in the Coliseum, getting the attention of all the people, including Yuri's. Karol, who was standing next to the hound not too far from Yuri, blushed shyly; He didn't want to make a scene, and he exclaimed awkwardly:  
"H-hey guys, don't mind me! Continue with… whatever you were doing, heh!"  
Yuri observed him and smirked. Repede couldn't hold it anymore, and hurried towards its owner in the blink of an eye. The people who were near Yuri opened a path for the dog, slightly startled of its speed. The swordsman smiled at the sight of his loyal companion and petted it once it was near. Karol, seeing this, made up his mind and headed to Yuri too.  
"Well, now's our chance." Judith said with a cheerful tone. Rita nodded.  
"Let's go." The genius mage mentioned and looked at Estelle, who was staring at her hands quietly. "Estelle?"  
The princess, without changing her gaze, said:  
"I… I think I'll wait outside. I just remembered that I have to… do something. I'm sorry." And after that, she turned around and led to the exit. Rita was disposed to go after the girl, but Judith stopped the mage and held her by the arm.  
"Let me go! Something's wrong with Estelle, I know it!" The teenager exclaimed, but Judith shook her head in disapproval.  
"This is not the moment. We better leave her alone for now, so she can clear up her mind." The krytian woman said firmly. "We should wait until she decides to return."  
"But…" Rita muttered, and after that, she growled, giving in. Judith approached Yuri then, and the genius mage followed her slowly.

Estelle stopped herself in front of the exit, and looked back before leaving the Coliseum; she couldn't see her friends from there anymore, but if they've made their way to Yuri successfully, she was happy for them. She wanted to congratulate him too, but when she saw him being surrounded by girls whom were hugging and kissing him, she couldn't help but feel a little depressed, although she didn't know why. "Besides, Yuri has to spend some time with his new fans. I shouldn't act so selfish." The princess thought, and after a while, she left the Coliseum.  
The young pink-haired girl didn't notice the dark eyes that realized her departure and watched her go until her figure disappeared.

...

The sun was going down and the seagulls were flying over the city of Nordopolica. Estelle was sitting at the port observing the sunset, lost in her thoughts. "My master told me once that I should do everything that my heart tells me to… so… Why can't I do it this time? Why do I feel this way…?" The young princess asked herself mentally, with her hands intertwined on her lap. Since she left the Coliseum, Estelle was thinking her friends' words over. She remembered, with a bittersweet feeling, how she used to isolate herself for a while, back when she just discovered her powers as a Child of the Full Moon.  
She sighed.  
If she didn't hurry, her friends would start to get worried, and the next day, everyone would return to their own activities.  
And after that, they won't see each other for a while.  
Does Estelle want to leave Yuri?

"Woof!"

Estelle froze, recognizing the familiar bark not too far from there. Maybe…?

"Estelle?" A deep voice asked her from her right side. The princess started to blush; she didn't expect HIM to be there.  
She didn't answer; she was too nervous to do so.  
Then, she could feel the swordsman sitting by her side, along with the dog.  
"Thinking?" He asked, smirking, while observing her. The pink-haired girl shook her head, and finally looked at his friends' eyes.

Those deep, dark eyes she was mesmerized by.

"Oh, uhm, hi Yuri! I just wanted to get some fresh air…" She explained, slightly nervous. Yuri looked away, focusing on the sunset in front of them.  
"The girls said that you were acting odd." He mentioned then. Estelle blinked.  
"Huh…? N-no, not at all." She answered, and he just looked at her. She continued, lowing her gaze: "And… how did you feel during the Tournament? You did great; everyone was fascinated with your skills, Yuri."  
The swordsman shrugged.  
"It was nothing. But man, dealing with all those fans back there was way more difficult."  
Estelle smiled sadly.  
"Yes, I didn't know you had so many fans, Yuri."  
"Neither did I." He grinned.  
And after that, silence.  
They were both observing the sunset, and Repede was taking a nap quietly. Estelle wanted to talk to him, say something, listen to his voice, but she didn't know how to do it; she was… more nervous than usual. Why?  
The words from her master Drake resounded in her mind:  
'Do what you heart tells you to, Estellise.'  
"I… Congratulations, Yuri." She said all of a sudden, trying to sound happier. He looked at her, slightly confused.  
"Huh? Why?" He looked at her.  
"For winning the Tournament."  
"Oh, thanks. That reminds me, Karol and the others were so brave back in the arena, making a path between all the people to get to me…" He smirked.  
"I wanted to go with them too, but I…" the memory of the girls kissing and hugging Yuri appeared in the princess' mind once again. "I remembered that I had to do something important."  
"Oh yeah? And what did you have to do?"  
"I…" Estelle hesitated, not sure of what to say.  
"Mmm?" Yuri raised an eyebrow, curious.  
"I… I can't say it." She mentioned with a disappointed face, failing in explaining something coherent.  
"It's okay, princesses can have their own secrets too." He commented with a teasing tone. Estelle frowned.  
"I… Yuri, one day, I will tell you!" She exclaimed, and she blushed immediately because of her sudden response. The swordsman looked at her with an intent gaze. When Estelle noticed this, she blushed even more. What did she mean by that?  
The princess looked down, and playing with her fingers, she excused herself:  
"It's a secret, Yuri, and I don't want anyone to know it yet… I'm really sorry." She muttered.  
Yuri blinked, analyzing her, and after that, he grinned.  
"Don't worry, Estelle. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He said as softly as he could. Then, he got up, and Repede mimicked his movements. "It's getting late, and we should return to the Inn. I don't feel like putting up with an angered Rita."  
Estelle laughed mildly at the comment, after a long day of deep thoughts.  
"Yes, thank you, Yuri." She said while standing up. "Then, shall we get going?"  
"After you, princess." He joked with a short bow, and Estelle laughed again. After that, they both returned, along with Repede, to the Inn.

Someday, Estelle would discover what she meant with that secret.

Meanwhile, she could enjoy the company of her most cherished person.

...


	2. Glove and Party

"Jelaousy!" Raven exclaimed happily. "The princess was jealous of a bunch of girls, yes? Wish I could see that."  
Judith sighed.  
"I wonder if Estelle knew she was feeling jealous…" the krytian woman muttered. Raven, Rita and Judith were relaxing in their room at the Inn while waiting for the others to arrive. Then, the genius mage added slightly irritated:  
"I don't think so. Besides, the nerve of those girls, kissing Yuri on the cheek..."  
Suddenly, the door of the room opened, startling the three friends.  
"Uh… guys?" Karol asked timidly from the door, catching a glimpse of the room. "Do you know where Yuri and Estelle are? I've searched for them for hours and I can't find them…"  
No one saw the mischievous look on Raven's face.  
"Well, ya see kiddo, there are…times when two grown ups want to spend some time alone, ya know? that's why they go to a place where they can be all lovey-dovey and…" The archer started to explain, but he was cut off by a powerful hit in the jaw, courtesy of Rita Mordio.  
"Don't put ideas into the kid's head, you perverted old man." She said coldly. Judith looked at Karol, who had a nervous look and his face was totally red.  
"We don't know where they could be either. I'm sorry, Karol." She answered calmly while Raven was trying to put himself together. Karol blinked, perplexed.  
"Eh…but they're not…uh…" The kid started, but he was interrupted by an unexpected voice:  
"Hey, what's wrong? Why do you all have that face?" Yuri asked while entering the room with Estelle and Repede by his side. Karol and the rest of the group looked away timidly. They didn't know how to receive them or what to say after the previous awkward moment. Yuri raised an eyebrow and observed his friends, waiting for a response.  
"Yuri, Estelle, you're here!" Karol was the first one breaking the awkward moment.  
"Yeah, we are here, but… what's going on here?" He asked again, frowning. Estelle tilted her head to the side.  
"Maybe… a cat got their tongues?" She mentioned innocently. Yuri looked at her incredulously. After that, he sighed.  
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm really tired." Yuri said and leaned his sword 'Second Star' against the wall. After that, he headed to a bed and lay down on it. The rest of the group was still speechless. In that moment, Estelle gasped and headed to the drawer next to a bed, the one where she kept her bag. She searched for something in it, and after a while, she approached Yuri, who was almost asleep, and handed over a red-and-black glove.  
"Yuri, you forgot this in my room at the castle the last time you went to visit me." She said to him naively. "By the way, thank you for being with me that night. I was so happy." Yuri opened one eye, and after observing the glove, he sat down and took the glove.  
"Thanks Estelle, I couldn't remember where I left it." He mentioned with a tired face after a long day of hard battles. The rest of the group, excepting Repede, was all puzzled with the conversation taking place before them. They looked at each other, confused, but neither Yuri nor Estelle noticed the awkwardness in the air.  
"Guys, are you serious…?" Karol muttered, expecting to be heard only by Rita, Judith or Raven.  
"That idiot is going to be dead by tomorrow…" The genius mage muttered between her teeth.  
"They don't seem to perceive the ambiguity of that conversation…" Judith mumbled while placing her right elbow on her left hand. Raven stroked his chin, a satisfied grin on his face.  
"Well well, it looks like those two _had_ their time alone after all…heh heh, I didn't expect this…" The archer said to himself, and Yuri yawned.  
"Why are you all standing there? If you guys are not going to sleep now, go out. I want to sleep." Yuri grumbled, slightly irritated. Estelle was sitting on the bed next to Yuri's.  
"Oh no, it's okay, we're going to sleep to, right guys? Heh…" Karol said nervously, shaking his hands in front of him. Rita, who was blushing, nodded quickly.  
"I'll sleep in the same bed as Estelle." The mage pointed out while looking at Yuri with a serious look. Estelle blinked.  
"Uh… okay!" The naïve princess agreed.  
"Ooh c'mon kids, it's our time to go get some air, dontcha think?" Raven asked his three companions with a mocking grin. Judith looked at him with that special gaze, frowning, and that was enough to shut up the old man.  
"Estelle, just curious; why was that glove in your room?" The krytian woman asked kindly, and Yuri frowned because of the way the question was formulated. However, Estelle, ignorant of the current situation, observed the glove a few seconds, remembering the events.  
"Well… one day, Yuri went to the castle to visit us both me and Flynn, and I invited him to my room to show him some of the stories I've written." The pink-haired girl explained with a smile on her face.  
"Surely the glove was a bother to read, wasn't it? And that's why Yuri took it off…" Raven continued, placing his intertwined hands behind his head.  
"Well..uhm.." The princess started, but she was interrupted by Yuri:  
"I was eating some ice cream but it melted, and my glove got dirty because of it. Estelle offered herself to wash the glove, so I left it with her but I forgot to pick it up. Was that what you wanted to hear, old man?" Yuri mentioned with a cold tone, slightly annoyed now that he knew about the wrong idea of his friends and for the fact that he couldn't get to sleep yet. Raven watched Yuri's serious look.

The fun was over.

"Uh, not exactly" Raven murmured.  
"What was it then, Raven?" Estelle asked innocently. Then, Rita sighed and walked towards her:  
"Forget it Estelle. Now, let's get to sleep, today was an exhausting day." The mage pointed out.  
"Ugh, tell me about it." Yuri added, and after that, he lay down once again and closed his eyes, ready to rest at last.  
"Yes, I'm really tired too…" Karol yawned. Judith smiled, satisfied.  
"Well, good night everybody. Sleep well." The blue-haired woman mentioned while sitting on a bed.  
"Good night!" Estelle added.  
Raven sighed, disappointed.  
"Aw, the fun was just getting started... I was already plannin' my next questions." Raven muttered, and then, smiled. "Well, maybe one day this ol' man could see some romance between those kiddos."  
After that, he headed to the last bed available and lay down to rest as well.

...

"Hey, Flynn." A bored Yuri called. The swordsman was sitting in front of a small table that was located in the kitchen from the castle of Zaphias, visiting his Commandant friend. The castle was really lively and crowded in the moment because the Council would be giving a party later on that day to celebrate Ioder's birthday. The kitchen was lively as well, with all the chefs and maids working hard to have everything ready for the important event. Repede was resting next to Yuri's chair; he didn't seem to care about all the noise, or maybe he was already used to it.  
"What is it, Yuri?" The blond guy asked his friend, focusing his gaze at an important document he was reading in front of Yuri. The swordsman, who had his chin resting on his left open hand, was observing the movement of the people around him carrying food, ornamentation and utensils for the party of that night. After a while, he answered lazily:  
"This is boring."  
Flynn sighed, folded his document and put it away. He didn't have his armor on, since that day was his free day.  
"I'm sorry Yuri, I thought I would finish this matter sooner…" Flynn said. Yuri shook his free hand nonchalantly.  
"Nah, I came here too early. Finishing the guild's job of the day faster than usual isn't as good as I thought, either." Yuri smiled, and the Commandant smiled too.  
"Weren't you heading to Danhgrest today to join Karol and Sch…I mean, Raven?" The blond questioned. His friend shook his head, then sighed.  
"Yesterday Captain Karol fell into a fountain and caught a cold, so we decided to change the day of the meeting." Yuri explained. Flynn raised an eyebrow.  
"The boy was distracted, huh?" Flynn added, smiling, and Yuri nodded with his eyes closed.  
"And I finished my duties of the guild earlier and…"  
"You decided to come and visit." Flynn finished the sentence.  
"Yeah."  
Flynn sighed once again, slightly ashamed.  
"I'm really sorry, Yuri…" The commandant muttered.  
"Shut up Flynn, I already told you that it was my decision to come here. Besides, why do we have to chat in a noisy place like this?" The swordsman interrupted him.  
"Well, the rest of the castle is being cleaned right now for the party."  
Yuri opened his eyes and smiled.  
"Ioder will have his big party, huh? I didn't think he was a party guy."  
"He is not, but the Council wanted to celebrate his birthday and his newly received title of Emperor as well." The commandant said.  
"Hmpf, always making excuses." Yuri muttered, and Flynn said nothing. After a few moments of silence, the blond guy resumed the conversation:  
"Will you stay for the party? His highness Ioder asked me to invite Brave Vesperia to the event."  
"Well, the invitation arrived too late, Commandant." Yuri mentioned, closing his eyes again. Flynn frowned; he knew that when his friend called him 'Commandant', it was just to make fun of him. Flynn ignored the comment and continued:  
"This party was an unexpected event, Yuri. Look at all these people; they're in a hurry trying to have everything ready for later. The council told us just yesterday that they were giving a party."  
"Anyway, I don't think the rest of the group could make it in time. Well, maybe Judy, she's with Ba'ul." Yuri answered while closing his eyes, nonchalant as always. Flynn observed him attentively.  
"Lady Estellise will be attending the party." The blond man said. Yuri didn't change his position nor his gesture, and they remained like that for a few seconds, the Commandant looking at his friend and Yuri resting his chin on his palm with his eyes closed. After a while, Yuri opened his orbs and said:  
"She has to. She is a noble after all."  
"Yeah, but, she would be very happy if she sees you here."  
Yuri gazed at his friend with an indifferent look. After analyzing his friend's face for a while, the swordsman looked away and sighed.  
"You know I don't like these sort of things. This is a party for noble people." Yuri explained, saying the last phrase with a sarcastic tone.  
"You are not coming for the nobles, Yuri. You're coming for Ioder, Estellise and me." Yuri frowned.  
"I'll think about it. Right now, I'm gonna check if Hanks needs help with somethin'." The swordsman said while standing up and grabbing his sword, which was leaning against the wall. Repede stood up, stretched his members and followed his owner. Flynn, without changing his position, looked sideways at him.  
"You can't remain sit, can you Yuri?" Flynn asked him. Yuri, without turning around, shook his left hand waving goodbye and led to the exit along with Repede. A smile appeared in Flynn's lips.  
That was his good friend Yuri.

...

The night had fallen on the Imperial capital Zaphias, and most of the citizens were resting inside their houses. However, the castle was having a party in that moment, and the place was totally lively and elegant. Nobles from all over Terca Lumireis were invited to the event, which was offering live music, exquisite food, refined drinks and good company. The Emperor Ioder was very busy with all his guests; all the people wanted to salute and congratulate him personally, so he couldn't stand for a few minutes in the same spot, let alone rest for a while. Commandant Flynn was keeping an eye on the emperor from his site next to the main door. Next to him were Sodia and Witcher. Ioder told Flynn and his brigade to relax and enjoy the party for that night, but the blond guy said he couldn't afford that luxury.  
"Sir, would you like something else to drink?" Sodia, who noticed his empty glass, asked him. Flynn looked at his Second in Command and shook his head.  
"No thank you, Sodia, I'm fine. You and Witcher should go ahead and enjoy the party." He said with a small smile. The orange-haired girl next to him frowned.  
"No sir, we can't leave you behind." She refused.  
"If the commandant isn't coming with us, we're not moving from here." The small mage Witcher added. Flynn blinked, amazed by his brigade's loyalty. Then, he smiled again.  
"Okay... Well, let's try to have a good time, but don't forget to keep an eye on his Highness every once in a while, all right?"  
"Sir, yes, sir!" The two knights replied.  
"Flynn!" A familiar voice exclaimed suddenly. The Commandant turned around to see a well-known pink-haired girl.  
"Lady Estellise, how can I help you this night?" The blond knight said. Estelle was wearing her turquoise dress with her short hair tied up. The Child of the Full Moon looked around before asking:  
"Are Yuri and the others coming to the event?  
Flynn looked down for a few seconds. After that, he replied:  
"I'm not quite sure, Lady Estellise."  
Estelle looked away, disappointed. Flynn didn't know that to say; it could be worse to give her false hopes, and that is why he decided to remain silent. After a while, Estelle looked up and made an attempt to smile.  
"Thank you, Flynn." She said. Flynn nodded and gave her a reassuring smile. In that moment, a young noble with red hair and penetrating green eyes approached them, coughing to attract their attention. Estelle and Flynn observed him.  
"I am sorry to interrupt you, but, if I'm not mistaken, you are princess Estellise, am I correct?" The young man asked, and Estelle nodded with a sad smile.  
"The one and only." She murmured. Flynn couldn't help but smile because of that response; it was obvious that Estelle spent a lot of time hanging out with Yuri, and the commandant proved this by noticing how Estelle usually use words and phrases that he only had heard from his Lower Quarter's friend.  
"Well then princess, My name is Brian Colville, it is a pleasure to meet you. I was wondering... the next dance is about to begin. May I have this dance?" Brian asked kindly, offering his hand to her. Estelle looked at him, and after a few seconds, she placed her hand on his softly.  
"It would be my pleasure." She replied, the sad smile still on her face. Before going to dance, Estelle looked at Flynn quickly and nodded. The blond guy gave her an encouraging smile. When the princess was no longer visible, Flynn sighed.

Perhaps the princess wanted to be with another person.

"Uhm, Sir, I…" All of a sudden, Sodia's voice resonated in Flynn's mind. The Commandant observed his Second in Command, wondering why was her face so red.  
Maybe she was feeling ill…? She did seemed a little uneasy, after all.  
"What's the matter, Sodia?"  
"I… wanted to know if you would…like to…uhm…" She muttered slowly while she was playing with her fingers, making it difficult for Flynn to understand what she was trying to say. Witcher, who was next to Sodia, _facepalmed_. "…d-d-d-dan….ce… with….me….  
"I'm sorry Sodia, but I did not understand the last part. Could you repeat it for me, please?" Flynn asked her, slightly shy. Sodia was about to answer, but in  
that moment, she was interrupted by a noble young woman with brown curly hair who approached the brigade and asked Flynn straight away:  
"Commandant Flynn Scifo, Would you dance with me?"  
Flynn blinked; he didn't expect that request. Sodia widened her eyes, bemused.  
"Eh, o-of course, my lady." He coughed, and then said: "May I have the pleasure of this dance?"  
The brown-haired girl smiled a coquette grin, and nodded:  
"Yes"  
After that, Flynn offered her his arm.  
"Uhm, Sodia, Witcher, I'll be righ back. Meanwhile, keep an eye on the Emperor, please." The Commandant said to his companions before going to dance with the  
noble woman. Sodia and Witcher nodded in silence.  
"You were too late, Sodia." Witcher said to his companion once they were alone. The orange-haired girl reddened even more, but not for the same reason as before.  
"That girl… she will pay for it…" Sodia mumbled, frowning. Witcher sighed.

It was a shame that his friend's lack of courage ruined her night, he thought.

...

Yuri and Repede were standing in front of the stairs that lead to the castle of Zaphias. The place seemed to be pretty lively from outside, and some knights were guarding the entrance; the moonlight was illuminating the castle.  
The swordsman sighed.  
What was HE doing there? He still couldn't believe that, when lying on his bed, Yuri started to think about the possibility, and finally decided to come to the party to visit Flynn and Estelle. However, now that he was there, he was starting to regret his earlier decision.  
"Maybe it's better to go back, Repede. This isn't place for us." He sighed. "What was I thinking…"  
Repede growled, slightly annoyed for walking all the way to the castle and having to return to the Lower Quarter right away.  
"We are already here, though…"  
In that moment, two voices were heard near the stairs, at the entrance, and Yuri, instinctively, went and hid. Repede mimicked him.  
"It's not necessary, but thank you." A feminine voice said.  
"I have been waiting to give this to a woman as beautiful and splendid as you." The second voice replied; it was a man.  
"But I… I can't accept this, Brian." The woman persisted.  
Yuri was starting to feel that he was overhearing a conversation he shouldn't listen to. He was about to return to the Lower Quarter when he heard a familiar name.  
"But princess Estellise, I have totally fallen in love with you. It was love at first sight. You're such a lovely, kind and enchanting woman." The man blurted. Yuri frowned, concentrating himself to listen to the conversation better.  
"Duke Brian, you're a nice man, but I cannot accept that present from you, and… I cannot return your feelings either." Estelle muttered.  
"Mmh? I didn't hear that last part…" Yuri thought.  
"I see… then, I presume that you love another man, princess? If that's so, please, tell me… because I will do anything I can to reach your heart, princess Estellise."  
"Huh? love… another man…? Well, I…" Estelle wasn't sure of what to say. Yuri noticed that she wasn't doing well, and decided to interfere.

"So you were here, Estelle." The pink-haired girl widened her eyes, amazed, and a feeling of joy started to form inside her. She turned her gaze to the long stairs next to her, encountering Yuri's silhouette not too far.  
"Yuri…!" She sighed in relief, excited of seeing him there. Duke Brian eyed them, raising an eyebrow.  
"And who is this petty boy supposed to be…?" The noble asked disdainfully, but Estelle ignored him and ran towards Yuri.  
"Yuri! I'm so happy to see you!" The princess exclaimed, laughing happily. Then, she pounced on him to hug him tightly. She surely was happy of seeing him there. The heart of the naïve princess skipped a beat when she felt the swordsman hugging her back for the first time since she met him, and Estelle couldn't help but smile and blush between Yuri's strong arms. Yuri glanced at the noble man sharply one last time before focusing on the princess. Duke Brian frowned and groaned in annoyance before returning to the castle, unsatisfied with the unexpected outcome of his courtship. After a while, Estelle freed Yuri from the hug, and she glanced at him under the moonlight.  
"I thought you wouldn't come." She said. Yuri looked away and scratched his head.  
"Well, I wasn't going to come, but I didn't have anything better to do…"  
Estelle observed her for a few second, and then, she smiled softly.  
"Thank you." She muttered, the smile still on her lips. Yuri looked at her, curious. "Do you want to go in? Flynn and Ioder would be happy to see you as well."  
"Nah. Repede and I were about to return to the Lower Quarter, but then I… overheard your conversation with that guy and things didn't seem well…"  
The princess looked down.  
"He invited me to dance, and after that, he asked me to follow him to the castle's entrance. I didn't expect him to confess his love... and I didn't know what to do back there."  
Yuri smiled, satisfied, and said:  
"I guess I came just in time, then."  
"Yes… thank you, Yuri."  
In that moment, Repede approached them with a calm pace. Estelle looked at it and crouched down to pet him, and to her surprise, the dog let her pet it. Meanwhile, Yuri took a glimpse of the castle's entrance. It surely was lively.  
"Would you like to sit?" Estelle asked him all of a sudden. Yuri glanced at her.  
"Yeah, I don't see why not."  
After that, the three sat on the stairs that led to the Public Quarter, keeping their distance from the castle. Estelle seemed so happy to have Yuri's company, and she was telling him about all the things she had done since the last time they saw each other, when they went to the Coliseum in Nordopolica.  
"…And it was delicious. Yuri, you should try it sometime!" Estelle was saying in that moment. Yuri laughed mildly.  
"It sounds good, Estelle. Hey, you don't want to return to the castle yet?" The swordsman asked her, and the princess denied vigorously with her head.  
"I'm fine! I wanted to talk with you."  
"But if you don't go back, Flynn would get worried..."  
"I'm with you, Yuri, It would be fine."  
Yuri sighed. That was the always stubborn princess.  
"Suit yourself." He smiled.  
"Tell me Yuri, how have you been?"  
"Well, there's a lot of work for Brave Vesperia, but nothing we cannot do.  
"That's wonderful! Karol must be so happy because of that." She replied with a smile on her face, and Yuri observed her.  
"You look more relaxed now than when we went to the Coliseum." The man commented. Estelle blinked and looked down.  
"Yes…"  
Yuri said no more, and they contemplated the moon above them. After a while, the princess asked with notorious awkwardness:  
"Y-Yuri.. Have you seen… your fan club… since the day of the Coliseum…?"  
"Huh?" Yuri blurted, not so sure that she was talking about the same thing as before. "You mean the girls from the coliseum?"  
Estelle nodded slowly and gazed at him deeply. Then, Yuri watched the moon, thoughtful.  
"I haven't." He answered.

Silence.

"Uhm… Yuri…" Estelle muttered while playing with her fingers nervously, a few seconds later.  
"Mmh?"  
"Do you think that… those girls were cute…?"  
Yuri raised an eyebrow and glanced at her.  
Did he hear correctly?  
"Why do you ask?"  
A light crimson appeared on the princess' cheeks.  
"I… well… you see… uhm…"

Yuri frowned, piecing things together. Perhaps Estelle was…?

All of a sudden, the swordsman smirked mischievously.

"What do we have here? Our dear princess is…jealous?" Yuri asked with a teasing tone, waiting for the pink-haired girl's response. Estelle widened her eyes and frowned, more nervous than before.  
"Jealous? M-me?" Of course not!" She replied, slightly annoyed, and Yuri widened his smirk.  
"Then, why're you so interested in that, huh?"  
"Well, that's because I… I…"  
Yuri stroked his chin, faking reflection.  
"Mmmh.. Nah, no one grabbed my attention."  
"Huh? Really?" Estelle asked, curious.  
Yuri observed her, his mischievous smirk still on his lips.  
"Nope. What a pity." He mentioned with his teasing voice.  
"Oh…" Estelle muttered, looking down. Then, Yuri sighed.  
"Hey, Estelle, I think it's time for you to return to the castle. That noble guy from before… he better not make up something stupid…"  
"Don't worry, Yuri." The princess interfered. "I'll make sure he doesn't say anything. Well, thank you for being here with me tonight, Yuri. I really enjoyed your presence. I hope I can see you more often."  
The swordsman raised an eyebrow; he surely didn't expect that answer.  
"Yeah, I'll try to come soon, and I'll bring Rita, Judith, Karol or Raven with me next time." Yuri stood up, and his two companions did the same.  
"That'd be wonderful, thank you." The princess said.  
"Do you want me to take you to the entrance?"  
Estelle shook her head slowly, rejecting the offer.  
"I'll be fine. It'd be a problem if Flynn sees you."  
Yuri looked away.  
"Good point." He said.  
Estelle smiled sadly and walked to the stairs that were in front of the castle. Yuri and Repede followed her, and the princess turned around suddenly.  
"When are you going to return to Dahngrest, Yuri?" She blurted.  
"Tomorrow before noon." He responded. The pink-haired girl waited a few seconds before saying:  
"I see." She looked at Yuri with a determined look."Can I see you before you go? I'll try to be quick about it."  
Yuri observed her, and placed his hand on his waist.  
"Okay. I'll come to the castle in the morning." He replied.  
"If it is possible, I'd rather meet you at the Lower Quarter."  
Yuri blinked.  
"Sounds good to me." He mentioned, and Estelle nodded.  
"It's settled then. Well, have an excellent night, Yuri, and take care." The princess smiled.  
"You too, Estelle."  
The girl shared a last smile with him before she started her slow return to the castle. Yuri observed her go until she entered the castle, remembering the day when he met her, with that same dress, in that same place but in completely different circumstances...  
The swordsman shook his head mildly, wondering why he started to think about that. Then, he and Repede went to the Lower Quarter to rest. After all, the trip to Dahngrest was neither short nor easy.  
No one inside the castle perceived the nervousness that started to pile up inside the naïve princess.

...


	3. Feelings

_Here it is, finally the next chapter! I'm sorry for the delay, but I hope you enjoy this. I'd like to read your reviews! ^^_

* * *

Estelle was running through the streets of the city of Zaphias during the clear and lively morning. She was heading to the Lower Quarter to meet his friend Yuri, who was going to Dahngrest later.  
The princess passed by the people who were walking on the streets or buying food in the markets. Some of them recognized her as the princess, and some other knew her for her book called "Tales of Vesperia", but no one dared to stop her. The hill that indicated the start of the Lower Quarter was a release of adrenalin for the pink-haired girl, who was excited to meet his friend.  
When Estelle arrived to the fountain where the Aqua Blastia was, she encountered Hanks not too far away from there, and she ran towards him.  
"Sir!" She exclaimed once she stopped to catch her breath. Hanks looked at her and raised both eyebrows.  
"Miss Estelle? Are you okay?" He asked her with a worried tone.  
"Yes, thank you… I'm sorry for asking this all of a sudden, but, have you seen Yuri this morning?" She said, more relaxed now. She looked around, searching for her friend, and Hanks rubbed his neck.  
"No, I'm sorry Miss Estelle, I think he said he was going to Dahngrest today, you should ask at the Inn, maybe he left already…"  
"It won't be necessary." A third voice interfered; Hanks and Estelle observed the newly-arrived person.  
"Yuri!" Estelle mentioned, relieved of seeing him there along with Repede.  
"Oh, so here you are, Yuri… I hope you didn't do anything reckless as to worry the young lady…" Hanks smiled, and Yuri placed a hand on his waist.  
"Oh come on, I don't get in trouble that easily." The swordsman replied nonchalantly. Estelle and Hanks looked at him, hesitant. Yuri, slightly offended, looked away. "Well, not as much as before." He admitted. Hanks laughed midly and said:  
"Well, I should get going. It was good to see you full of energy as always, kids. Yuri, have a nice trip, and come to visit us more often, okay? Goodbye!"  
"Thank you very much, sir Hanks!" Estelle waved him goodbye. Yuri smiled to him, and after that, the old man turned around to resume his daily activities. Then, the swordsman looked at the princess.  
"Were you running before?" He asked her with a mocking grin on his face. Estelle blinked, confused.  
"Huh?"  
"Your hair…" He pointed at it, and Estelle palpated her short hair, noticing that it wasn't as straight as before leaving the castle.  
"Oh, yes, I thought I was late, and I didn't want to delay you more, so…"  
"It's okay, you don't have to explain it. Besides, you're not delaying me; I'm here because I want to." Yuri interrupted her. "Now, I know a good place to chat, and it has a great view. Follow me, Estelle."  
After those words, Yuri and Repede turned around and started to walk. Estelle observed his friend a few seconds, and after that, she did as he said and start to follow him through the Lower Quarter's main street.

Soon, they arrived to the second floor of the Inn.  
"Here we are." Yuri mentioned.  
"Your room?" Estelle asked, even more confused. Yuri did nothing but smirk.  
"Nope, it's a place better than my room." In that moment, the swordsman looked at his hound. "Repede, wait for us here."  
The dog barked, agreeing with his owner's statement. Then, the dog laid down in front of the door of Yuri's room, relaxing itself.  
"Estelle, look." Yuri called her with a smile. After that, he started to climb to the Inn's roof with the help of the railing. Once he was safe up there, he leant out of the roof to see the princess. "Your turn."  
Estelle nodded, and with a determined look, she started to climb with the help of the railing, mimicking the moves she saw on her friend, but slower. Yuri was used to do that, she was not. Furthermore, her dress didn't help her that much, but it was lighter and more comfortable that the turquoise one from the last night.  
After a while, the young man extended his hand to help the princess, and she accepted the help. Yuri pulled her up, and Estelle gasped when she reached the roof. A few seconds later, both friends were lying on the roof, slightly agitated for the effort.  
"Thank you, Yuri…" Estelle muttered while sitting properly.  
"Well, what do you think?" Yuri asked her while sitting and placing his arm on his knee. Estelle observed the sight she had in front of her; she could see all the Lower Quarter perfectly from there, and the Giant Sword from the Imperial Castle looked majestic from that angle, guarding the city with the three quarters surrounding it at the same time.  
"It's… beautiful. This view is even better than the one from the castle's windows." She finally said, captivated by the view. Yuri smiled, and focused his gaze on the clear sky above them. They were silent for a while, observing their surroundings and enjoying each other's company.  
Estelle broke the silence instants later:  
"Yuri… lately, I've been thinking about a lot of different things… And I realized that I have learned to take my own decisions. That wouldn't had been possible if I hadn't started that journey with you and the others. I'm so grateful for all the things I saw, learned and felt… no matter if they were good or bad."  
"That's good." Yuri mentioned. "After all, you're the one who decides how to live your life, and no one else."  
"Yes… Moreover, I didn't have a reason to fight for before. All of you, Rita, Judith, Karol, Raven… they all had a reason to act. I didn't."  
"And I told you that you shouldn't worry, that you would discover that reason during your journey." Yuri added, still looking at the sky. Estelle nodded.  
"That's right. And after all this time, I found the reason."  
"Oh yeah?"  
"Yes. Being with you, Brave Vesperia, is… the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me, Yuri. Having friends to fight for… and a world to care about… for the sake of the voices that don't reach the capital… that's why I fight."  
Yuri gazed at her; she had her eyes closed, her intertwined hands resting on her lap. Her gesture was serene and kind.

Estelle had changed.

She had just discovered the true world by herself after living 17 long years sheltered in a castle with the only company of her books, totally blind to the outside world. In just one year, she saw and lived a lot of different events during their journey, but thanks to those unexpected events, the Child of the Full Moon matured and comprehended the value of having a reason to do something.

That was a great advance.

The swordsman smiled, satisfied with her success.

"I'm happy for you, Estelle. You found the reason to move ahead. It was a matter of time." Yuri said after a while, and the princess opened her eyes with a smile on her lips. "Keep up the good work and fulfill those words."  
Estelle nodded happily.  
"Yes, Yuri, I'll give my best! Brave Vesperia works really hard bringing justice to the world. I want to do the same." Yuri laughed mildly.  
"Then so be it."  
They looked at each other for a few long seconds, theirs smiles still on their faces. In that moment, Estelle felt her cheeks reddening, and she placed her small hands on them, trying to cover them.  
"Hmm? Are you okay, Estelle?" Yuri asked her, curious.  
"Y-yes! Well, the thing is, there's something else I wanted to talk about…" she confessed, looking down. Yuri tilted his head to see her better and placed his chin on his open hand, part of his long hair falling to one side.  
"What is it?"  
Estelle gasped slightly.

She didn't sleep well two nights before, reflecting about her feelings and actions from the day they went to the Coliseum, searching in her books for words and definitions that could help her to define that strange sensation she had, that warm feeling she could feel every time she saw her friend Yuri (Because that didn't happen when she saw any other of her friends, like Rita or Karol), something she started to feel long ago, maybe just after discovering her role as the Child of the Full Moon.  
Since Brave Vesperia finished their journey to save the world, Estelle didn't have the opportunity to see her friends as much as before, including Yuri, and that saddened her. When Estelle just returned to the castle, after finishing the journey, there were some occasions when the princess didn't want to leave her room nor see anyone, in order to think about her friends while writing about their adventures, but mostly, to think about Yuri.  
Furthermore, every time the swordsman would turn up at Zaphias, Estelle would welcome him with a big and strong hug (Yuri didn't know about Estelle's strength until she hugged him like that for the first time) and she would later ask him if he was doing okay. Once the brief visit was over, the naïve princess would return to her chamber to concentrate on her novels. Every now and then, Flynn would find strange the commonly-happy-princess' silence, so he would pay her a visit to ask her if she was feeling ill or something similar. Then, Estelle would smile sadly and say: 'Yes, I'm fine; don't worry about me, Flynn'.

Maybe those responses and a certain situation would help Flynn to understand the real reason of Estelle's demeanor much later.

But then, what is that strange and warm feeling that Estelle is starting to notice every time she sees Yuri?

Since not too long ago, the young princess started to reflect on those feelings a lot, but it wasn't until a few days ago when she caught a glimpse of what it could be: That day at the Coliseum, when she was observing Yuri's fans giving the swordsman kisses and hugs… Estelle finally understood that she was feeling jealous at that moment.

Undoubtedly jealous.

And even though Estelle didn't notice at that instant, the sudden desire to run towards him to get his attention was thanks to that jealousy she was feeling. However, the princess wouldn't dare to do that; she would feel selfish if she doesn't allow other people to congratulate her friend, to celebrate with him. After all, that was an important achievement to him. That is why, after seeing his friend enjoying the company of his fans, Estelle decided to wait outside. She didn't want to ruin Yuri's glorious moment. And with that resolve, Estelle turned around and left the Coliseum.  
In Nordopolica, while Estelle was looking at the vast sea in front of her, she started to reflect on her feelings. That day she realized that, lately, the desire to feel Yuri's touch was starting to haunt her; the urge to hug him was intensifying, and once in a while, she would wish to have a subtle touch with the swordsman's hands or face. Aditionally, Yuri's features were starting to look more attractive than before, and that carefree smile of his was becoming irresistible. Estelle would use any excuse to start a conversation with him. Probably, the moment they were sharing now on the roof of the Lower Quarter's Inn was the consequence of her selfish actions for wanting to spend more time with him before he return to his work with Brave Vesperia; after all, she didn't know when she would be able to see him again.  
The princess couldn't help but feel bad when she noticed that she might be wasting Yuri's time just to satisfy her wishes.

Nevertheless, it was now or never.

After long hours of reflection, and without the help of her books, Estelle finally found the right word to name the strange and warm feeling she was sensing:

Love.

Yes, Estellise Sidos Heurassein was totally in love with Yuri Lowell.

And she realized this yesterday morning at the tranquil castle of Zaphias, when she was arranging her wardrobe and found the bridal veil that fell from the tree of Halure thanks to the spirit of the imposing tree. The young woman observed the veil deeply, and unlike the last time she tried it on, she started to feel a strong yearning to use it while marrying the loved one.  
After thinking about that, Yuri's face appeared in her mind immediately, lightning up her memories and making her blush:  
That young man, so different from her, had captivated her heart. He woke up feelings inside her that she had never met before.  
With those thoughts, the princess tried the veil on once again, and after seeing her reflection in the mirror, she imagined herself with a long and beautiful wedding dress, and she allowed her mind to play with her, daydreaming that she was walking between all of her loved ones with a long red carpet under her feet, heading to the altar where the person she loved with all her might was waiting patiently for her. To her surprise, the one that was waiting for her was no other than Yuri Lowell, with his long hair loose and wearing a black wedding suit that made him look even more handsome than he was already. He had a sweet smile on his lips, the same smile he shared with her when he was trying to save her from Alexei's control, when he jumped out to reach for her with that reassuring smile. Estelle was getting close to him, and he was just observing her with his curious eyes and that smile of his. Then, the happiness overflowed her and the princess started to feel the tears flood in, but Yuri winked at her to calm her.  
When Estelle was back to reality, she blinked and looked at the mirror in front of her once again, noticing the bridal veil on.

And then, she was aware of everything.

She realized her strong feelings for Yuri as well as her inner whishes.

And she blushed.

"Estelle…?" Yuri's deep voice brought Estelle back to reality. She blinked, as waking up from a dream.  
"Oh, I'm sorry Yuri." She observed him, and smiled shyly when she saw Yuri raising an eyebrow, slightly confused. "I'm fine."  
"Well... what did you want to talk about?" He asked again. Estelle didn't look away. She looked at Yuri's dark eyes, and let herself be mesmerized by them.

Yes, it was now or never.

"I have to… confess you something." Her voice was almost a whisper. Unconsciously, Estelle leaned forward a bit; Yuri blinked, but he didn't move. "Yuri Lowell, I have to tell you… during all this time we've spent together, you have always been there for me. And I have realized… how important you are for me. I used to think that I loved every one of my friends equally, but I finally understood how wrong I was." Estelle looked down and gulped. "Yuri, you mean a lot to me…"  
Yuri blinked once more.  
"What I want to say is…" Estelle looked at him again, breathed deeply and continued: "I'm deeply in love with you."  
And after those words, Estelle waited for a reaction. Yuri's eyes widened, astonished; he didn't expect that declaration. And then, he looked away, evidently nervous. Estelle looked at him, her heart beating quickly in her chest as if it wanted to go out. After a few minutes of quietude, the swordsman resumed the talk, still looking away:  
"Estelle…" He coughed, clearing his voice. "I didn't see that coming. And… somehow, I'm glad you had the courage to tell me this."  
Yuri smiled sadly, and said to himself:  
"Heh, you sure have guts."  
Estelle tilted her head slightly."  
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear the last part." She mentioned, but Yuri shook his head and gazed at her thoughtfully.  
"Estelle… are you sure of this?" He asked, ignoring her last comment.  
"Huh? W-what do you mean?"  
"You said… that you were in love with me, but… but I don't think I'm the right person for you." Clearly, those last words broke the princess' innocent and inexperienced heart, as her pupils dilated. "My hands have killed people, and my reputation isn't the best of Zaphias. I'm no more than a commoner, and you know that."  
"But Yuri, that isn't…" Estelle started, but Yuri interrupted her.  
"I told you once that I might turn my blade on you. I asked you if you were afraid of me…"  
"...And I said no." This time, Estelle was the one who cut him off with her determination, to Yuri's surprise. "And I am not afraid right now. I told you that if you ever end up doing that, I was sure I will have done something to deserve it."

Yuri opened his mouth to refute, but said nothing.

"Yuri… I don't care about all those things. At this point, I know who you are and who you are not. I know the reason of your acts. I'm not afraid of you at all, and I don't care where you come from or what people think about you. I just know that your words, your acts and your presence touched my heart… and I couldn't do anything to avoid it. That's why… that's why I wanted you to know what I feel." The girl looked down, intertwining her hands. "I understand if you don't feel the same way as I do. After all, I'm not a very experienced person, I don't have a nice body like Judith's and I'm a little clumsy… but my feelings for you are sincere. And confessing this is enough for me."  
Estelle gazed at Yuri for a few instants, and after that, she looked down once again.

Yuri was processing all of her words.

All this time, Yuri had thought that Estelle was a really kind person, nothing compared to the rest of Brave Vesperia. After all, Yuri grew up on the streets and killed someone with his own hands. That's why, he thought, he shouldn't be around her too much. And yes, he was a very experienced man despite of his youth; He has seen a lot of things already, things that maybe Estelle couldn't even imagine. Despite all these, the princess had chosen to stay by his side, by Brave Vesperia's side, until the end.  
And she is a person loyal to her words.  
"Here's to the road ahead" She told him once, when she overheard his conversation with Flynn about Cumore's death and his way of bringing justice. Nothing of that mattered to her; she just wanted to walk by his side.  
And that's when Yuri realized that, in spite of all the misery in the world, all the injustice and misfortune, there was always a light shining upon people's hope, just like Brave Vesperia, the star, does with its bright light, bringing faith to the whole world.  
"I'm so stupid. How can't I notice before?" Yuri thought. "Estelle's feelings… It looks like I'm not as experienced as I thought in some areas." He thought and smiled, satisfied.

Estelle was about to get up after finishing what she had to say, but a strong hand got hold of her arm, making her gasp.  
"Yuri…?" She asked shyly. Yuri, with his look down, started to say:  
"I'm sorry, Estelle. I'm sorry for not noticing before… I may not look like it, but I'm bad dealing with some things." The swordsman then looked up and observed her with a devilish look and a mischievous grin on his face. "Like expressing my feelings, as you can already say."  
Estelle's eyes widened, not sure of how to take that. Seeing Estelle's confused gesture, Yuri's grin widened:  
In the blink of an eye, Yuri pulled the girl towards him gently and embraced her, surrounding her little body in his strong arms. Estelle's eyes widened even more, amazed by his action. She never thought that the swordsman could return her feelings; after all, he never hinted a feeling more than friendship or brotherhood.

And yet, there he was, holding her tightly and telling her that he feels the same in a nonverbal way.

The princess placed her hands on Yuri's back, hanging on to his clothes to make sure that she wasn't dreaming.

Estelle was really, really happy.

After a while, Yuri freed her and gaze at her, curious. Estelle's eyes were glowing with happiness, and her face was all red because of the closeness of their faces. She then asked, still feeling like it was all a dream:  
"Do you like me, Yuri?"  
Her question was almost a whisper, but the intimacy they were sharing in that moment allowed Yuri to hear her perfectly. He smiled.  
"Yeah." He replied.  
"Really…?"  
Yuri reflected on her question. Why had he fallen for the princess? That innocent, pure and kind girl. Totally opposite to him. Maybe it was her determination to help others and put everyone else before herself. Or maybe it was because of the Child of the Full Moon's pureness that dwells in her heart. Who knows?  
What Yuri knows is that, the first time he noticed this feeling (it wasn't too long ago, for sure), he felt like a monster trying to capture a small and fleeting butterfly. A buttlerfly that looked so fragile… and somehow, the little bug transmitted him warmness and a strong desire to protect it. Since then, Yuri told himself that he wouldn't allow those feelings to flourish, for Estelle's well-being and to respect Flynn, who probably wouldn't agree with the idea of Yuri dating his dear princess.  
However, in that moment those distant memories seemed stupid, and he threw out all idea concerning Flynn and possible reactions once he knows that the princess is in love with Flynn's childhood friend, the boy that only knew how to cause trouble.

Nothing of that mattered in that moment.

The only thing that he cared about was that he was there, with Estelle.

"Yes. I'm in love with you, Estelle." He then smiled sweetly, and the princess blushed even more. "Maybe you want me to say it more formal?"  
Before giving Estelle any chance to reply, Yuri cleared his voice, and playfully got up and started to say with a royal and mock air at the same time:  
"Dear Princess Estellise Sidos Heurassein: During this beautiful day in the city of Zaphias, I, Yuri Lowell, confess that I have fallen in love with you, with your graciousness and your clumsiness…"  
Estelle covered her mouth with her hand to dissimulate her laugh.  
"Yuri, you're so silly." She said, laughing.  
"I suppose you have spread some of your clumsiness with me." He shrugged while sitting down again.  
"Of course not! Moreover, you've shared some of your confidence with me: I don't think I would've been able to tell you how I feel if it wasn't for your help." She smiled warmly, and Yuri did the same.  
"Now that I think of it, didn't you have a crush on Flynn?" He asked, teasing her. Estelle frowned, apparently insulted.  
"I didn't, I don't and I won't have a crush on him!" She responded. Yuri blinked; didn't think she would take it so seriously. A few seconds later, she murmured: "I… I am in love with Yuri Lowell, and no one else…"  
The swordsman smiled, satisfied with her response, and looked at her; the young girl responded to the visual contact with a timid smile. After looking at each other for a few moments without a single word, Estelle's eyes widened when she remembered something:  
"Oh my! Yuri, it's so late, you have to return to Dahngrest! I'm sorry…" she apologized.  
"Relax Estelle, don't worry about it; we're not in a hurry."  
"Even so, you should leave or Karol will start to worry."  
Yuri sighed.  
"I won't try to deny that, you won't listen to me anyway." He murmured with a teasing tone on his voice, and after that, he got up and offered Estelle a hand to help her stand up. "Come on, let's go to the castle."  
"Okay. Thanks, Yuri." She said while standing up with Yuri's aid.  
After that, both friends got off of the roof and met Repede. The dog seemed to know what happened up there, since, with curious eyes, looked at the humans in front of it before whining slightly. Then, the three of them left for the Castle of Zaphias without talking much. It was already noon by then.  
During their walk, Estelle searched for Yuri's hand shyly. Yuri noticed this and held her tiny hand softly. They continued their way to the castle like that, holding hands.  
Once they arrived to the Castle's doors, Estelle freed Yuri's hand slowly and placed herself in front of him.  
"Thank you for everything, Yuri, I am so happy. Give my regards to Karol and Raven. I will pray for you well-being." Estelle said. Yuri nodded.  
"Thanks, I'll take care of that."  
"Oh, and Yuri?"  
"Hmm?"  
"Come to visit us more often, please."  
Yuri observed her for a few instants, and then, he smiled.  
"I will."  
The young princess smiled happily, excited for the swordsman's reply. After that, she approached Yuri and gave him a short but sweet kiss on the cheek. Yuri, who wasn't expecting this, blinked astounded and gazed at the princess. Estelle just smiled timidly, her cheeks reddening.  
"Goodbye, Yuri and Repede. Have a safe journey." She murmured, and after that, she turned around.  
"Yeah, thanks. Say hi to Flynn for me." He said, playful. He turned around and was about to start walking when she heard Estelle whispering:  
"Yuri… I really like you."  
The young man looked sideways at her. He then closed his eyes and smiled to reply with a gentle voice:  
"And I like you even more, Estelle."  
After those last words, Yuri headed off to Dahngrest along with Repede. Estelle stood there with her cheeks reddened, mesmerized by Yuri's last statement. She turned around to see the swordsman leaving the city, and with a big smile on her lips, she placed her intertwined hands in front of her chest to pray for the man's sake and return.


	4. Cake

_Well, here's the next chapter! Thanks for the reviews, I appreciate them~! Now, enjoy!_

* * *

A week and a half had passed since Estelle had confessed her feelings for Yuri, and her royal duties with emperor Ioder were coming to an end; after that, she would be able to return to Halure for a time and focus on her stories. When Ioder needs her assistance or opinion, she visits the castle to help him out.  
Yesterday, the princess received the news that all her friends from Brave Vesperia were coming to the castle to pay her a visit today, and she was really happy. She then decided to prepare them a banquet all by herself during that sunny morning at the imperial capital of Zaphias.  
"Lady Estellise, please, leave the cooking to the chefs… I am sure they will take care of the banquet just perfectly; you should focus on more important things…" Flynn was trying to convince her. "Moreover, you will go to Halure tomorrow, isn't that correct, princess? You will end up really tired if you cook all the day…"  
"But Flynn, our friends will come to the castle and I would like to cook for them!" She explained, and the Commandant scratched his head.  
"Well, you can welcome them with a great banquet, but I insist, you should leave the cooking to the chefs…"  
"Why?" The princess asked with a sad look. Flynn winced, not so sure of how to explain her that if she wouldn't like to intoxicate one of her friends, she shouldn't cook this time…  
"Um, the truth is, I'll go to the Public Quarter to buy some things I need and I would like you to accompany me. Would you do that for me, Lady Estellise?" Flynn mentioned, congratulating himself mentally for the sudden brilliant idea. Estelle's eyes gleamed with curiosity.  
"To the Public Quarter? That'd be my pleasure!" She smiled, apparently forgetting the previous topic. "I would go to change my dress. I will be right back."  
Once he was alone, Flynn sighed with relief. After all, he managed to keep the princess away from the kitchen. He called then for a few chefs to prepare the banquet and, after everything was set, he went to the castle doors to wait for the princess.  
"And where am I supposed to take her…?" He asked himself out loud while waiting for the young woman. A few instants later, Estelle met up with him wearing her usual pink-traveling dress.  
"I'm ready, Flynn! Let's go." She said happily, and the blond guy nodded in agreement. After that, they both headed off to the Public Quarter.

...

As always, the market was bursting with people. Flynn took advantage of the occasion and bought his favorite bread, the one he used to eat a lot during his childhood. Estelle, on the other hand, was enjoying the shops, mesmerized by the books in sale, the delicious food and the lovely accessories.  
"Flynn, I would like to bake a chocolate cake for Yuri." The princess mentioned all of a sudden. The Commandant was next to her carrying the bags.  
"Huh? Oh yes, Yuri loves sweets." He nodded, recalling his friend's weakness.  
"But I don't know how to bake it, I don't even have a recipe…" she murmured, slightly ashamed. Flynn remained silent for a few seconds, thinking hard, and after that, he smiled, remembering something.  
"The woman from the Lower Quarter's Inn used to bake us a chocolate cake when we were kids. It was Yuri's favorite dessert. If you want, we could ask her for the recipe, lady Estellise." He said, and Estelle glanced at him with a bright smile.  
"That'd be wonderful!" She replied. Flynn couldn't help but smile at her emotion.  
"Well then, let's go to the Lower Quarter now."

...

Once they were at the Lower Quarter, they entered the Inn. Estelle stood next to the tavern door (Flynn told her to do so) and Flynn went ahead. When the citizens that were inside the tavern recognized the blond guy, they all left their seats and went to greet him. Flynn, with all his responsibilities as commandant, hadn't had enough time to pay his friends from the Lower Quarter a proper visit. That's why, if there's a chance to meet Flynn, they welcome him with big smiles and hugs.  
The commandant saluted the clients quickly but politely, apologizing for not having enough time to chat. He then approached the woman who was attending the inn and tavern. She was really happy to see him there, since her eyes gleamed with joy when he shared a sweet smile with her.  
"Flynn, it's been a while!" She exclaimed. "I'm so happy to see you here. My, young people surely grow up so fast…"  
Flynn nodded.  
"Yeah, I know. It's a pleasure to see you all again, but I'm afraid I'm in a hurry." He said, looking down. The woman smiled motherly.  
"It's okay. How can I help you?" She asked. Flynn looked at her, amazed of how good she still knew him after all those years.  
"Well… if it's not a nuisance, can I have the chocolate cake recipe you used to bake for me and Yuri please?" He asked politely. The woman nodded immediately.  
"Of course you can have it!" She replied, and after that, she got a white sheet and a pen. "Oh my, it's been years since the last time I baked that cake…" She murmured while writing the recipe down. Once the recipe was ready, the woman gave Flynn the sheet and he took it with a smile.  
"Thank you very much." He said thankfully. "I'll come to visit you all soon, and when that happens, I'll spend the night here in the Inn just like in the old times."  
The woman nodded happily. She was like a mother to Flynn and Yuri after all.  
"We'll be waiting for you. You and Yuri are always welcome here, and the Lower Quarter will always greet you with open arms." She replied. The blond guy nodded.  
"I'm really grateful for all those kind words." He bowed in gratitude. "Well, we'll take our leave now. Goodbye, and thank you again."  
"Thank you very much!" Estelle added while bowing too. After that, all the people smiled at them and the two friends left the tavern.  
"Here, Lady Estellise." Flynn then said and turned to face the princess. She did the same and he handed over the recipe to her.  
"Thank you, Flynn. All those people were so kind, they definitely love you." She said with a sweet smile.  
"Yes, they're our family… and they will always be." He murmured to himself, thinking of Yuri and himself. The princess couldn't help but giggle happily. Flynn then scratched his head, slightly flustered. "Well, let's return to the castle, lady Estellise."  
"Yes." she responded. Flynn would have to let the young woman cake the bake all by herself; after all, it was going to be a surprise for Yuri, and Estelle wasn't going to allow anyone to interfere.

...

A few hours later, inside Zaphia's castle, Flynn was heading to the castle's kitchen to supervise the food… and see how the princess was doing with her cake at the same time. The banquet was almost ready; it just needed a few details more. Being satisfied with this, Flynn then approached Estelle, who was sitting next to the oven with a doubtful look. 'Please, don't tell me that she burned the cake…' the Commandant thought.  
"Is something the matter, lady Estellise?" He asked her once he was in front of her. The princess denied with her head.  
"No, it's just… the wait is making me nervous." She muttered. Flynn blinked and gazed at the oven; the cake was baking inside already. He sighed and wished it wasn't too late yet.  
"Did you taste it?" The blond guy asked.  
"No… I forgot to do that." She replied, and Flynn winced.  
"Do not worry lady Estellise, we just have to wait. Don't lose your patience, okay? If you need anything, I'll be in the main hall."  
"Y-yes… thank you."  
After those words, Flynn nodded and turned around to disappear from the kitchen.

...

The commandant was walking through the main hall when he suddenly heard familiar voices near him. He looked at the castle's main doorway and he saw Judith, Karol and Raven talking in front of it. Flynn smiled and greeted them.  
"You're all here." He saluted. The others looked at him.  
"Hi Flynn. Is it too early?" The beautiful krytian woman asked, and Flynn shook his head.  
"Not at all, the banquet is almost ready. Please, enjoy yourselves."  
"Greeeeat! I'm starving… Raven didn't want to share any gels with me during the trip.." Karol said while looking at the old man askance. Raven just placed his intertwined hands behind his head.  
"Well kiddo, if you eat way too many gels you won't enjoy the food that our dear princess cooked for us." He defended himself. Karol's eyes widened.  
"E-Estelle is cooking…?" He asked slowly, as if he was afraid of being heard. Flynn rubbed his neck nervously.  
"She is not, worry not." He muttered slightly ashamed, remembering how he managed to keep her away from the cooking. Karol sighed with relief.  
"That's good. For a moment I thought that we would have to eat burned food just like in the old times."  
"I don't think Estelle's food is bad." Judith added all of a sudden, and the boys glanced at her with a skeptical look. She frowned: "Of course, when her food isn't burned."  
"Well, the princess is baking a cake right now." Flynn commented.  
"A cake?" Karol raised an eyebrow, slightly confused. The blond guy nodded.  
"It's for Yuri." He explained, and Judith smiled playfully.  
"That sounds interesting." She said, and Raven joined in.  
"She baked it for a special reason?" The former captain questioned.  
"I don't know." Flynn replied, and then he frowned: "Why do you ask?"  
Raven shrugged.  
"I wanted a cake for me too." He sighed, and Karol glanced at him.  
"But Raven, you hate sweet f—" Before the kid could finish, Raven placed his big hand on Karol's lips.  
"People change, kiddo, and sweet food ain't as bad as I thought." He replied while struggling with Karol's arms. "But it seems like that deeeliiicious cake is for Yuri only… Ah, what a cruel life."  
Flynn raised an eyebrow.  
"I'm sure there will be more desserts available in the banquet, Captain Scha… I mean, Raven." The Commandant suggested, but Raven waved his free hand in the air dramatically.  
"But nothing like the sweet food from the sweet princess…"  
"Shut up, old man." A female voice said all of a sudden, and Flynn and the others turned around to see the owner of that voice; it was Rita Mordio, who was entering the castle in that moment to approach her friends. Karol finally got to remove Raven's hand from his mouth and exclaimed happily:  
"Rita!"  
"Oh, here is our favorite genius mage! A little late, don'tcha think?" Raven smiled mischievously. Rita glanced at him with a furious look, and after a few seconds, she ignored him, now paying attention to the blond commandant in front of her.  
"You said Estelle was baking a cake, right?" She asked, and Flynn nodded. "Is she in the kitchen right now?"  
Flynn nodded once again.  
"Then I'm off. You guys can continue with your chattering." The genius mage mentioned and disappeared into a hall after that. The rest of the party observed her go.  
"Thanks for greeting us back, Rita!" Karol exclaimed, annoyed.  
"She must be hungry as well." Judith smiled. Flynn, on the other hand, let out a sigh.  
Brave Vesperia was a weird guild, he thought, but at the same time, Flynn knew perfectly fine that they were all good people willing to help others.  
"Are we gonna eat here at the hall or what?" A male voice asked from the main doors; everyone turned to see the newly-arrived and their faces gleamed with joy: It was Yuri Lowell along with his loyal canine friend Repede.  
"Yuri!" Karol exclaimed happily and ran towards him. Raven rubbed his chin, smirking.  
"Well well, the life and soul of the party is here." The archer muttered, the smirk still on his lips. Then, Flynn, Judith and Raven approached the swordsman as well.  
"It's good to see you again, Yuri." The Commandant smiled.  
"Are you both tired?" Judith asked.  
"Nah, we're fine, but we are so hungry we could eat a horse right now…" Yuri sighed while placing a hand on his belly.  
"Woof!" Repede added in agreement. Judith giggled.  
"In that case, we should proceed to the dining hall; lady Estellise and Rita Mordio should be there already." Flynn mentioned, and the rest of the people nodded and headed to the dining hall. Flynn, however, didn't move. Yuri stopped and turned around to see his friend.  
"You're not coming?" The swordsman asked him, and Flynn frowned.  
"Thanks for telling me, Yuri." The blond muttered, and Yuri raised an eyebrow, confused. 'Damn it, Estelle told him already?' he thought.  
"Tell you what?" Lowell questioned.  
"The last time you were here, you came to the emperor's party and met lady Estellise, but you didn't see anyone else. You didn't tell me you had been here." Yuri sighed, slightly relieved. He would have to look for a right moment to tell his friend about his new relationship with the princess.  
"It was a brief visit. Besides, I said that I don't like that sort of things." The swordsman explained; 'Once he knows the truth, he will punch me right in the face' Yuri thought. Flynn was silent for a few seconds, and then he started to walk.  
"I see. Let's keep going, then." Flynn said.  
Was he… offended because Yuri didn't meet him? 'That's the drama queen for you." Yuri said to himself and shrugged while following him.

...

When Yuri and Flynn arrived to the dining hall, they encountered Karol, Judith, Raven and Rita sitting in their respective seats while waiting for them to appear, slightly desperate. The large main table was adorned with lots of delicious-looking food; well, at least they were kind enough to wait for them.  
"Guys, what are you waiting for?! At this rate, the food is gonna cool down!" Karol yelled. He was sitting across from Raven.  
"You two better hurry and put your butts on the chairs, we want to EAT!" Rita added with annoyance. She was sitting across from Judith.  
"Woof!" Repede contributed to the scolding.  
"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Yuri sighed. "Remind me not to approach you guys when you're this hungry."  
"Yuri!" A familiar female voice exclaimed from the kitchen, which wasn't too far, and sent shivers down his spine. Yuri turned to his right, and in a blink of an eye, he was welcomed with a strong hug, courtesy of the cheerful princess. She wrapped her arms around his waist tightly.  
"Woah, hey Estelle!" The swordsman gasped, somewhat startled. "Seriously, since when are you so strong?"  
Estelle giggled and freed him. She was wearing her usual traveling dress, Yuri noticed. The young woman gazed at Yuri's eyes with intensity, her big green orbs gleaming with joy.  
"I'm so happy to see you." She whispered; Yuri couldn't help but smile and look at her, pleased with her words. Before the man could say anything, someone coughed near him, drawing the couple's attention.  
"Ehem, there is a banquet waiting." The Commandant said. Estelle nodded and headed to the main table, glancing at Yuri for the last time, somewhat disappointed.  
"I-I'm sorry… please, enjoy the food." She said while taking her seat. Yuri looked briefly at Flynn before sitting across from the princess, apparently indifferent. After that, the blond guy mimicked them and took his seat as well. At last, they started to eat.  
They were eating and talking at the same time, enjoying their time together. Brave Vesperia was really grateful for the banquet the princess organized kindly for them. After a while, they were ready to leave the table, but Karol stood up and caught everyone's attention:  
"Guys, I have something important to tell you!" The young leader started.  
"What, Nan is your gilfriend already?" Raven teased him. Karol's eyes widened and his face was totally red.  
"W-WHAAAT?! O-of course not!" He replied. After that, he coughed and relaxed himself. "Well, as I was saying, I suppose you all remember the guy from the actors' guild we met at Nam Cobanda Isle, right?"  
"Of course, that play was so much fun to see." Judith smiled, recalling memories. Karol nodded.  
"That's right. Since it was a huge success, the actors' guild has asked for our help in a play again." He continued.  
"W-What?!" Yuri exclaimed, almost spitting out his drink.  
"Greeeeeat! When are ya goin' to play? I can't miss it!" Raven smiled mischievously.  
"The play is tomorrow! Get ready you guys!" Karol replied with a big smile.  
"Am I going to play the brave heroine who saves the princess from the claws of the devil Yuri?!" Estelle asked, clearly excited. "Wonderful!"  
"Oh, hell no! Count me out! I'm not going to wear that stupid dress again, you hear me?!" Rita interrupted while folding her arms.  
"Oh Rita, please! You looked really cute with it!" The princess mentioned, and the genius mage gazed at her friend for a few instants. After that, she blushed.  
"N-no… I'm not losing any more dignity."  
Karol smiled playfully while rubbing his noise.  
"Rita, are you afraid of acting once more?" The boy tempted her, and the genius mage looked at him for a long few seconds. She frowned.  
"Absolutely not. I won't lose the opportunity to burn your butt again." She said at last, and Karol gulped.  
"Fine, fine, you won. No need to burn my butt." He replied, looking away.  
"It'll be so fun, Rita." Judith said.  
"Rita, please…?" Estelle added. The mage glanced at both girls, and with a heavy sigh, she nodded slowly.  
"I'll do it…" she muttered, her face and ears as red as a tomato. Estelle clapped once happily.  
"Yay! Thank you, Rita! It will be great to save your life again! I'll practice as much as I can!" Estelle mentioned, and then she looked at Yuri with a cheerful smile: "Yuri, this time, I'm going to defeat you no matter what! Just you wait!"  
The swordsman sighed.  
"I guess I have no choice." He said while closing his eyes in defeat; Raven laughed mildly.  
"If you don't mind, I would like to behold your play." Flynn mentioned, and Yuri gazed at him incredulously.  
"You've got to be kidding me…" Yuri mumbled to himself.  
"It's on, then! Brave Vesperia, to stage in a few days!" Karol exclaimed pridely, and Repede barked happily.

...

After the banquet, Brave Vesperia went to a chamber with sofas and tables specially prepared for them. They were relaxing and talking, enjoying their free time together inside Zaphia's Castle. Moments before, Estelle took advantage of the situation and went to the kitchen to complete her cake, saying that she was going to see how maids were doing with their cleaning work as an excuse. On the other hand, Judith, Karol, Rita and Raven were playing poker with excitement. Flynn, Yuri and Repede were sitting on the sofas, observing their friends playing. After a while, Yuri got up. Flynn looked at him:  
"Where are you going?" The blond guy asked; he wouldn't allow Yuri to find out about the princess' surprise before it was all ready.  
"I forgot my sword at the dining room. I'll be right back." He answered with a nonchalant voice.  
"Avoid the kitchen, Yuri. It's a total chaos right now, and the maids should be cleaning it right now." Flynn mentioned with a serious look. The Commandant knows that if he says something else, it will sound shady, especially for someone as perceptive as Yuri.  
"Yeah." The swordsman waved his hand in the air nonchalantly and left the chamber.

...

Yuri was walking through the castle's halls. 'Ugh, this place is a maze. I'm sure people get lost in here.' The man thought, slightly annoyed because all of the halls were identical. When he finally arrived to the dining hall, he eyed the place searching for his sword, but he didn't find it. With a doubtful look, Yuri got near the kitchen's door; maybe one of the maids took it and put it in another place. The swordsman opened the door to the kitchen and the first thing he saw was Estelle decorating a tasty-looking cake with icing chocolate. The princess, startled for seeing him there, tried to hide the chocolate by placing herself in front of it, but it was useless.  
"Y-Yuri?! What are you doing here?" She gasped nervously. The man raised an eyebrow and placed a hand on his waist.  
"I was looking for my sword; I left it at the dining room, have you seen it?"  
"Y-your sword…? Oh, you mean 'Second Star'? No, I haven't… I'm sorry." She replied, looking away.  
"Estelle…? What are you doing with that cake…?" Yuri asked after a few seconds, and the girl took a peek at the chocolate cake that was behind her; it just needed a little more icing chocolate and… _Voilà!_ it would be ready.  
"I… well…" She finally sighed in defeat, moving herself to reveal the chocolate cake to Yuri. "It was a surprise, Yuri. This cake… well, I made it for you." She admitted. The swordsman raised his eyebrows, not expecting that.  
"You made that cake all by yourself?" He asked, and the princess nodded, slightly sad because her surprise was ruined; she didn't expect Yuri to show up at the kitchen looking for his sword.  
"I'm sorry… I know how much you like desserts and I wanted to astound you, but I'm not good at cooking and—" She started, but she went silent when Yuri walked towards her and observed the cake with curiosity written all over his face.  
"Can I have some?" He asked all of a sudden, and Estelle blinked.  
"Huh? O-of course! It's all yours." She said, and after that, she went to get a small plate, a fork and a knife. She then proceeded to cut a piece of the cake and put it on the plate. Estelle offered the plate to the man standing by her side, mesmerized by the chocolate cake. Yuri accepted the plate, opened his mouth and took a bite. Estelle gazed at him steadily, waiting for a reaction: He was chewing his piece of cake slowly, enjoying the flavor. All of a sudden, his eyes widened and he stopped chewing.  
"Y-Yuri?" Estelle called him nervously, but the swordsman's was being carried to another place, to a childhood memory, a nostalgic one…

In that moment, Yuri saw himself as a kid again, playing with Flynn with their wooden swords at the Lower Quarter streets. The woman from the Inn would call them right before the sunset, and they would enjoy a delicious slice of chocolate cake made by her…

The flavor of Estelle's cake… It was the same flavor of the cake that the innkeeper used to bake for Yuri and Flynn.  
A delicious cake that, with every bite, would bring back memories…

…Memories that would make Yuri smile.

"Yuri?" The princess asked once again. The swordsman gulped.  
"I'm sorry Estelle, did you say something?" He replied, as waking from a dream. She shook her head.  
"Uhm… did you like the cake?"  
Yuri looked at her for a few seconds, and then he smirked and nodded.  
"Yeah. It's delicious, Estelle." Estelle's eyes gleamed with glee." Its flavor is identical to a chocolate cake that the woman from the Inn used to make for me and Flynn. Why?

Estelle shared a sweet smile with the man in front of her, making him blush slightly.

"It's the same recipe. Flynn helped me to get it: We went to the Lower Quarter's tavern to ask for the recipe. The woman was really kind for sharing it with us. It's the same cake you used to eat when you were a kid, Yuri." She explained. Yuri couldn't help but chuckle mildly.

So Flynn helped out too, huh? That would explain why he didn't want Yuri to get near the kitchen.

Yuri placed his free hand on Estelle's head and patted her with gentleness. The young woman blushed; she didn't see that display of affection coming.  
"Thanks, Estelle. You've awakened my sleeping nostalgia. I hadn't tasted this delicious and home-made cake since I was kid." Yuri said softly. Estelle smiled, satisfied with her success.  
"I'm glad you liked it, Yuri." She replied, and then, she finished the decoration of her cake quickly. Meanwhile, Yuri took the last bite of his cake. After that, he asked the princess:  
"Did you try it?"  
"Estelle shook her head, slightly ashamed.  
"No, not yet."  
Before she could say anything else, Yuri handed her the empty plate so she could cut another piece of cake.  
"Try it. It's really good."  
Estelle blinked and gazed at him. Then, she nodded happily and cut a slice of cake. She was about to take the fork to her mouth, but all of a sudden, Yuri interfered and ate the piece of cake from the fork, leaving the princess open-mouthed, her face turning slightly crimson.  
"Yuri!" She exclaimed, between nervous and startled. Yuri observed her nonchalantly while chewing.  
"Mmh?" He muttered, obviously teasing her. Estelle sighed and prepared another bite. This time, no one would impede her of tasting her own creation; finally, she took a bite, tasting it softly, enjoying it and delighting herself with the chocolate flavor…  
Astonished, she found out that Yuri was right: the cake was really good, and it had a tasty home-made flavor that made it even better. It didn't bring back any memories to her; nevertheless, she knew that that cake was part of Yuri's childhood, and that thought made her heart beat faster.  
"Well?" Yuri asked her with a smile while seeing her eat.  
"You were right: It tastes really good." She responded. She still had some cake left on her plate. After a while, her face started to turn red all of a sudden, and she said:  
"Yuri... Open your mouth, please" She ordered, slightly nervous. Yuri blinked, bewildered, and raised an eyebrow.  
"Are you going to feed me?" He asked, and the princess nodded, reddening even more. Yuri looked away, getting flustered as well: "A-all right…"  
After those words, he closed his eyes and opened his mouth feeling somewhat awkward; after all, he wasn't accustomed to that romantic behavior, but he didn't care how silly he could looked in that moment.

Love was surely a strange feeling.

Estelle held up the fork and fed the last bite of the cake to him slowly. Yuri closed his mouth, and after a few seconds, the princess slid the fork from his mouth. The man was chewing his cake, his eyes still closed. Estelle smiled sheepishly.  
"W-well... The rest of the cake is all yours, Yuri." She remembered him. When Yuri was done with his piece of cake, he said:  
"I'll share it with the others; they have to know that you've improved your cooking skills." He smirked, satisfied, and Estelle nodded with joy. All of a sudden, the kitchen door opened, and the couple saw two familiar blue eyes: It was Flynn, standing in front of them with astonishment, holding Yuri's sword 'Second Star' in one hand.  
"Flynn?" Estelle said, confused.  
"Ah… Greetings, lady Estellise." He mentioned, not so sure of what to say. Yuri shared an indifferent look with him.  
"Why is my sword with you, Flynn?" he asked, crossing his arms.  
"I came to tell you that Karol saw your sword forgotten at the dining hall, so he took it with him. However, it seems like he forgot to tell you…" The blond guy explained.  
"Why, thank you Commandant." Yuri smirked playfully. Flynn frowned at the last word. Then, he focused on the princess and later on the chocolate cake.  
"I suppose my cynical friend has received his surprise, lady Estellise?"Flynn asked. Estelle nodded.  
"It didn't turn out as I expected, but Yuri enjoyed the cake, and that is what really matters." She explained.  
"Flynn, I just remembered all those quarrels we used to have before eating that chocolate cake." Yuri smirked sarcastically. "You were a wicked one." Flynn breathed slowly, trying to maintain his composure.  
"I thought it was a good opportunity to recall old times and flavors. Furthermore, lady Estellise wasn't sure of what kind of cake she could make for you." He said. "…And you're the wicked one." He mumbled then.  
"Yes, Flynn helped me a lot." Estelle added. "That reminds me, you should try some cake, Flynn. After all, you used to eat it as well, right?"  
"Eh… but… the cake…" the blond started, but Yuri interrupted him.  
"Go ahead, Flynn. I'll share it with the others too anyway." The swordsman mentioned. Flynn rubbed his neck sheepishly.  
"Okay… just one piece, please." He said.  
After a while, the three friends returned to the chamber where the rest of the party was, and they all ate from the chocolate cake that Estelle prepared, astonished by its delicious flavor. After smacking Raven on the head a few times because of his jokes related to the cake especially made to Yuri (smacks courtesy of Rita Mordio), Brave Vesperia decided to spend the night in the castle; after all, they would go to Nam Cobanda Isle the next morning to participate in another play, just like in the old times.

...


	5. Brave heroine VS Dark Lord?

_Enjoy the next chapter! Dear readers, I appreciate your reviews! ^^_

* * *

Since the morning, Brave Vesperia was ready to go to Nam Cobanda Isle, where the same play from before was waiting for Yuri and his friends once again. Some of the members were more excited than others to set off, yet they all walked up the Fiertia. With the help of Ba'ul, Brave Vesperia started their small trip, saying goodbye to Zaphias, the capital, for the time being. Flynn and his brigade were coming along too.  
While flying through the vast regions of Terca Lumireis, Rita was observing, with her arms crossed and tapping her foot impatiently, the triad standing in front of her; those two knights and one mage decided to come along to the enigmatic isle to see Brave Vesperia's play. During that moment, Estelle approached the genius mage and looked at her with curious eyes:  
"Is something the matter, Rita?" She asked kindly. The younger girl narrowed her eyes.  
"I don't understand why THEY are here." Rita grumbled, her eyes still on Flynn and his brigade. Estelle followed her friend's gaze.  
"Huh? Do you mean Flynn and the others? Yuri invited them, I think." Te princess smiled innocently. All of a sudden, Yuri appeared behind them, startling the girls.  
"Wrong. Flynn invited himself." Yuri corrected with a skeptical look. "And he took along his tenacious Second-in-Command and Apple Head."  
"Oh, is that so? Nevertheless, I think it will be really fun!" Estelle mentioned. Rita sighed, irritated.  
"They weren't invited. Why the hell do they have to stick their noses into other pe—" But before she could continue, Yuri quickly placed his hand on Rita's mouth to hushed her at the sight of Flynn coming.  
"Excuse me, I was wondering… How is that Nam _Coranda_ Isle…?" The blond guy asked timidly. Rita started to blush.  
"Mmmh!" The genius mage was muttering while trying to escape from Yuri's strong hand.  
"Nam _Cobanda_, Commandant." Yuri corrected him with a mischievous smile, still struggling with Rita.  
"It's really interesting and fun! You will find different games and strange creatures dressed as cows… but they mean no harm!" Estelle explained and giggled. "You'll see!"  
Flynn nodded vaguely; it was difficult to focus on Estelle's words with Yuri next to her struggling with Rita.  
"That sounds… stunning, lady Estellise." Flynn replied with an uncertain look, and he focused on his male friend then: "Is everything fine between Yuri and Rita Mordio…?"  
Estelle blinked and gazed at her friends: In that moment, Rita bit Yuri's hand, making him groan in pain slightly. The swordsman freed her immediately; then, he started to stroke his just-bitten hand in an attempt to reduce the pain.  
"Don't ever touch me again, you idiot!" Rita yelled, her body stiffened; her face was completely red. "Or I'll use my _Fire Ball _spell on you!"  
After those words, the genius mage turned around and disappeared from the main deck.  
"Yuri! Are you okay?!" Estelle asked him, but before the swordsman could reply, the young princess hurried herself to use her healing arts to cure his hand. After she was finished, Yuri gave a last groan and shook his hand.  
"Ugh, thanks Estelle." Yuri murmured. "Damn, her teeth sure are hard."  
Flynn crossed his arms.  
"Well, Yuri, you were clearly doing something she didn't like. I think you deserve it." The Commandant added. Yuri frowned upon him, and without a word, he turned around and headed to his cabin.  
"Uhm, we'll be at Nam Cobanda Isle in no time, Flynn." Estelle said with a smile then. After that, she bowed a little and followed Yuri.  
Flynn sighed. What could be waiting for Brave Vesperia at Nam Cobanda Isle?

...

When Ba'ul arrived to the isle, Brave Vesperia gave Flynn and his brigade a quick tour through Nam Cobanda Isle, leaving them open-mouthed with all the bizarre things (and cows) they get to see at the isle. After the tour, they all entered the gymnasium and headed to the stage, meeting the Actors' guild leader right away. Karol ran towards him.  
"I've brought you the actors from before. Ah, and more audience!" The young man explained, excited. "Clearly, Brave Vesperia will do its work honorably and successfully. We accept this task in the name of the brightest star in the night sky—Brave Vesperia!"  
The rest of the party approached Karol. Judith smiled.  
"I'm ready. I'm looking forward to this next play." The krytian woman mentioned, and Flynn, who was standing by her side, nodded.  
"I'm eager to see you all on stage as well. Hey, Yuri." Flynn called his friend then, and Lowell focused his gaze on him, raising an eyebrow. "You never told me about this hidden ability of yours."  
Yuri frowned, and with an indifferent look, he replied:  
"Once I'm done with this play, I'll punch you right in the face."  
Flynn smiled, satisfied with his friend's reaction.  
"Rita Mordio, I didn't think you would stoop so low!" Witcher exclaimed.  
"…You're starting to get on my nerves, you little brat! I'll kick your ass right now!" Rita yelled, furious, but she stopped when Witcher moved back, slightly nervous.  
"C-calm down! I-I wasn't serious!" The Green-haired mage hurried himself to explain. Rita let out a growl.  
"Well lads, I know we're all excited to see these actors into action, but let's give them their proper space, 'kay? C'mon, let's take it easy." Raven interfered while sitting down on a chair, and after that, the ones who weren't going to act took a seat as well. Repede lay down next to Flynn's chair. Meanwhile, Yuri, Estelle, Karol and Rita headed to the dressing rooms to prepare themselves.  
After a while, a lot of people gathered in front of the stage, taking seats to wait patiently for the play to start. A few moments later, Judith appeared and placed herself in front of the stage and began to narrate the story of the play: It was the same play as before, the one where a brave heroine was trying to save a princess from a demon and his evil minion.  
The play started wonderfully, with Estelle dressed as the heroine and Yuri as the evil villain who held the poor princess Rita hostage.  
"Liberate the princess, Dark Lord!" Estelle exclaimed while looking at Rita, who was tied up to a chair behind Yuri. The real princess was enjoying her role. Then, Yuri let out an evil laugh.  
"As if! If you want her so bad, you'll have to deal with my evil minion first!" Yuri mentioned, and then, Karol appeared dressing as a monster.  
The same cheap costume from before…  
"RAAWR!" The young leader growled.  
"Oh no, heroine, please save me." Rita said with a monotonous voice.  
"Is that mage taking it seriously?" Sodia whispered to her Commandant while eyeing Rita, who was observing the play with an indifferent look. Flynn smiled awkwardly.  
"Perhaps this is not her favorite play…" He replied.  
"Dark Lord, I've defeated your minion!" Estelle exclaimed in that moment and Karol disappeared from the stage, fleeing apparently terrified. "It's time to defeat you once and for all!"  
"Tsk, if I want something well-done, I have to do it myself." Yuri muttered. "Well then, 'heroine', you're no menace to me!"  
Estelle raised her sword with courage.  
"I'll say it once again: Liberate the heroine, you villain!" Estelle mentioned, frowning.  
"Yaay, my heroine." Rita said with her monotonous voice, shaking her hand in the air nonchalantly. Then, Yuri and Estelle clashed swords.  
"…And then, the heroine confronted the dangerous demon in an attempt to save the princess. After a long and grueling fight where no one wanted to give in, something unexpected took place in the middle of their fight, leaving the princess speech—" Judith was explaining, but she was interrupted when the people gasped with surprise. Startled, the krytian woman turned around to see how the act was going, and saw Yuri cornering Estelle, leaving the heroine defenseless under his long and strong arms.  
"Y-Yuri…" The real princess whispered as low as she could, but loud enough for Yuri to notice. Estelle was starting to get really nervous with that position. "What are you doing…? You have to do as the script says… again…"  
Yuri observed Estelle's cheeks reddening quickly, and he grinned mischievously.  
"I have a better idea. This will make the play more exciting." He whispered back. Estelle could clearly feel the swordsman's breath, and she was starting to feel really hot all of a sudden; in that moment, Yuri started to draw near her face slowly, leaving the princess puzzled with his actions. She froze when Yuri's lips started to come near…

… and just when Yuri was about to place his lips on hers, Rita wrapped her arms around Yuri's waist roughly, making him lost his balance and concentration.  
"Die, demon!" Rita yelled while struggling with Yuri once again, successfully keeping him away from Estelle.  
"Woah, hey, what do you think you're doing?!" Yuri asked, not expecting that situation. Rita freed him all of a sudden, and before he could do anything else, Estelle approached him in a blink of an eye and pretended to stab him in the stomach. Yuri, still processing the latest events, did nothing. He stood there, confused.  
"Yuri, now you have to pretend you're dead." Estelle, who was standing in front of him 'stabbing him', muttered. In that moment, Yuri remembered where he was, and then, he fell to the floor, pretending to be dead.  
"Oh, heroine, you saved me." Rita mentioned then, with her usual monotonous voice.  
Estelle sheathed her sword.  
"I'm glad you're safe now, princess." Estelle added.  
Judith, still confused with that unexpected outcome, returned to her role as narrator and coughed a little to get the audience's attention:  
"…After that, the brave heroine saved the princess from the claws of the Dark Lord and they all live happily ever after. The End."

And then, silence.

The spectators were still looking at the stage with curious faces. Raven was about to _facepalm_ because of that ending when, all of a sudden, Flynn got up and started to clap firmly. Little by little, the rest of the audience mimicked him and got up to applaud as well, mesmerized by the unexpected ending. Estelle smiled happily and bowed in appreciation. Rita was forced to do the same, and Karol appeared out of nowhere to stand next to them. Yuri opened his eyes and got up. Once the four actors were together, they bowed at the same time, grateful for the audience's cheers. Raven sighed of relief.

In the end, the play was a success.

With a small smile, the archer clapped with the rest of the people.

...

Once the audience left the gymnasium, Yuri, Flynn and the rest of the guild gathered together to talk, leaving the stage empty. After a while, the actors' guild leader approached his new stars:  
"Bravo, everybody! It seems like that unexpected end was totally a hit!" The man exclaimed happily. "The audience was fascinated with the idea of a possible romance between the villain and the heroine… I think I'll change the current script to adapt it to a tragic love story like that one…"  
"I'm glad you're satisfied with our work." Estelle smiled.  
"Will we have a bonus payment thanks to this success?" Karol asked to the man, smiling hopefully.  
"If you all become my permanent actors, perhaps." He replied. Karol's smile disappeared.  
"Uh, no thank you, we'd rather do this once in a while, so the agreed payment is fine…" The kid said, and the actors' guild leader handed over the gald to him.  
"Thank you again, my young stars; I'll call you once I have my new script ready!" The man yelled before disappearing behind the stage.  
"It's finally over." Yuri muttered while placing one hand on his waist.  
"Well, how did you all like it? Pretty awesome, yes?" Karol asked, rubbing his nose. "Yeah, my role was the best part, I know!"

Silence.

Karol cringed. "Sheesh, you guys are really fussy!" The kid pouted after a while. Raven then rubbed his chin and looked at Yuri and Estelle:  
"I must say, you two surprised me back there. For a moment I thought the idea was a bust." The former captain mentioned. Estelle nodded and Yuri looked away, indifferent as always.  
"I think it was a good change of pace." Judith added.  
"Thank you. The audience seemed to enjoy it too!" The princess said. Rita crossed her arms; she was dressed with her usual clothes now.  
"Well, I think it was unnecessary." She muttered, slightly irritated. "Are you serious? A romantic scene between the villain AND the heroine? Pff, don't make me laugh."  
"Come on Rita, it's just a play, don't take it so seriously." Karol said, and Rita just stood next to him to smack him on the head, making the young leader growl.  
"Ow ow ow, my head…" Karol mumbled.  
"The kid is right, Mordio. Most importantly, you're not meant to be an actress." Witcher pointed out, and Rita, without saying a word, approached the green-haired mage and smacked him on the head as well.  
"Ouch! What was that for?!" Witcher cried.  
"Hell, someone's mad…" Yuri muttered to himself while raising an eyebrow.  
Sodia, who was witnessing the conversation, blinked, startled by the genius mage's actions.  
"It's good to improvise every now and then, Rita." The krytian woman interfered, trying to calm the genius mage down.  
"Now now Rita darlin', don't get so huffy, will ya?" Raven tried to help.  
"Yuri, were you really going to kiss lady Estellise…?" Flynn asked all of a sudden, his head lowered. The rest of the party looked at him; no one had thought about the situation that was about to take place during the play if it wasn't for Rita's intervention. Estelle held back a gasp, slightly flustered.  
Not caring about all the curious eyes that now were resting on him, Yuri shrugged.  
"I don't see why not. The play was really boring, so I just helped a little." The swordsman replied nonchalantly. Estelle gazed at him with curious eyes, wondering if he was telling the truth or he just didn't want Flynn to suspect something yet. Yuri looked briefly at Estelle, feeling slightly flustered, but she didn't notice this; she was now focusing on the blond Commandant.  
Flynn frowned, and after that, gazed at the princess.  
"If that would be the case, would you agree with that situation, lady Estellise?" The blond guy asked her. The princess blinked, not sure of how to respond: Her heart was still beating really fast for the previous situation with Yuri; the mere thought of Yuri's closeness was making her nervous, and her cheeks were starting to feel warmer.

She desired that proximity with Yuri, after all...

The princess then tried to look as calm as possible in front of her friends:  
"Uhm, well, I… yes, of course; the most important thing is to have a good response from the audience, right?" She smiled, a little nervous.  
"Her Highness." Sodia interfered. "If I might say, if you ever feel uncomfortable around Yuri Lowell, please, do not hesitate to let us know."  
Yuri sighed because of Sodia's comment. Estelle nodded.  
"Thank you, Sodia." She thanked the female knight.  
"Poor villain, he couldn't obtain his kiss thanks to an _angered little princess_…" Raven mumbled then, and while Estelle's cheeks started to redden, Rita smacked the archer on the head.  
"Ow, Rita darlin', why are you so cruel with me?" Raven hurried himself to ask.  
"Shut up old man, you really have a big mouth." Rita refuted. The rest of the people smiled, more relaxed now, and then, they all enjoyed the rest of the day at Nam Cobanda Isle.

...


End file.
